SOLIDWORKS Configuration
Learn more about SOLIDWORKS Configurations for creating different versions of parts and assemblies
For some users reducing the file size is a must, especially for large assemblies. Before the release of SolidWorks 2013, having multiple exploded views in one assembly implied creating multiple configurations (one for each exploded view) and, since each configuration saves all its Parasolid data, a huge assembly file. SOLIDWORKS provides an elegant solution to this problem by allowing multiple exploded views in each configuration. As a result the file size stays small and, at the same time, important time savings are achieved. In this video I am going beyond just showcasing the new functionality by presenting a complete assembly explode process, comparing the 2012 and 2013 workflows.
The 14th video from the What’s Really New in SolidWorks 2013 series presents one of the most popular SolidWorks enhancement requests of this millennium: give the user the ability to control the file size of a SolidWorks model. SolidWorks 2013 offers users for the first time a degree of control in this matter. Now users can decide where is the right balance between fast openings and file sizes, having the ability to purge the Parasolid model data from non-active configurations. Emailing files to your customers or suppliers becomes possible again, since purging the model data from multiconfiguration models should reduce the file size to a fraction of the original. Also, when you backup your file set, you will find out that you need much less space than before. The cherry on the cake is…
Configurations are the perfect time savers when needing to create families of parts or assemblies. The items that are being configured most of the times are dimensions, features and components. But did you know you can also configure equations, sketch constraints, external sketch relations, colors,…
One of the modules that received the most enhancements in the 2011 version of SolidWorks is the Drawing Environment. Most of the new functionality is well documented in the “What’s New” document (Help menu/What’s New) and in the Help file. Paul Marsman, a regular contributor…